FCC Forum Opens for Public Comment

From FCC e-Newsletter (Summer 2010)

New standards for food ingredients, such as a designer salt substitute that is sodium free and a revised standard for glycerin to include new tests to help guard against adulteration, are among the latest proposed updates to the Food Chemicals Codex (FCC), Seventh Edition. Manufacturers and other parties are encouraged to comment on these proposals, which are contained in the most recent FCC Forum—the vehicle for public review and comment of FCC standards—which was released today.

Proposed updates in the latest FCC Forum include:

  • New Standard for Magnesium Ammonium Potassium Chloride Hydrate—Considered one of the newer, designer salt substitutes, this ingredient differs from other substitutes in its composition because it is a true triple–salt complex and not a simple, physical mixture. Sodium–free salt substitutes of this type may become more important in food processing and formulation as consumers and regulators continue to be concerned about elevated levels of sodium in the diet. The FCC standard for this new salt substitute will designate the ingredient's chemical formula, structure, and weight; function and definition; impurity limits; and packaging, storage, and labeling information.
  • New and Updated Mineral Oil Standards—At the request of Health Canada, the latest FCC Forum includes an update to the food additive Mineral Oil, Medium and Low Viscosity, which is used as a defoaming, release, glazing, and sealing agent, to broaden the range of densities included. The FCC is recognized in law in Canada, and USP works with Health Canada to update FCC standards and thereby better serve the government and consumers of Canada as well as the international community. The FCC Forum also includes a new standard for Mineral Oil, High Viscosity, a food contact material used as a release agent, as a protective coating, or to lubricate manufacturing equipment.
  • Glycerin Standard Update—To help address the threat of adulteration, the latest FCC Forum includes new tests and tighter specifications for the identity and purity of this widely used food ingredient. An optional test for detecting diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol is also proposed.

The FCC Forum is free and open to all interested parties for review and comment. To view the latest FCC Forum, please visit http://forum.foodchemicalscodex.org.